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Running Head: GLOBAL REPORT

Global Report:

Mental Health: Worldwide Epidemic of

Anxiety and Depression among College Students

Paola Correa Alfonzo

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

November 25, 2018

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GLOBAL REPORT
Abstract

Mental health disorders are a rising health concern, worldwide. College students are

among the most affected by this epidemic; while anxiety and depression are the most prevalent

mental health conditions in the college student population. Consequently, these disorders cause

higher drop-out rates and suicides on campuses. These problems have been steadily increasing

over the last years, this report tries to shed light on an underestimate global burden and questions

the causes for the development of anxiety and depression and their effects on the college

student’s population and on the institutions of higher learning. The thesis of this paper is that

anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health conditions in college students; onset by the

college life-style and other factors which can be prevented or treated with the development of

programs. The goal of this report is to promote awareness about the mental health crisis that are

facing college students all around the world focusing on the causes and effects of anxiety and

depression on college campuses.

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Mental Health: Worldwide Epidemic of Anxiety and Depression among College Students

For many years, experts worldwide have warned about a deadly silent epidemic that has

since been growing; affecting college students all around the world. The mental health epidemic

is increasing even more rapidly than anticipated inside the college campuses. The impact of this

disease is unprecedented and many of us are oblivious of it. Mental health illnesses are becoming

part of the college experience. Universities and colleges all around the world are reporting an

increase in drop-outs and suicides because of students developing these psychological

conditions. Among those psychological disorders, anxiety and depression are the leading cause

of these problems, nevertheless, not many is known about the extent of the problem, the causes

and consequences of this epidemic in college campuses. This report tries to answer the following

two questions: What are the factors that promote the development of anxiety and depression

among college students? and what are the effects and consequences of anxiety and depression on

the students and the college institutions? The thesis of this paper is that anxiety and depression

are prevalent mental health conditions in college students; onset by the college life-style and

other factors which can be prevented or treated with the development of programs.

Discussion

Mental health is a rising health concern that is mostly underestimated. According to

Kessler (2009) and the World Health Organization (WHO) mental health disorders are increasing

all around the world (p. 25). Vigo (2016) agreed and stated that about 14% of the population will

be affected by psychological conditions in the upcoming years (p. 176). The statistical evidence

in Figure 1 highlights the prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide; with the different

areas of the world colored in accordance to mental health illnesses prevalence in those regions.

Therefore, mental health disorders affect a large amount of people internationally and is expected
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to increase in the following years. Nevertheless, there are certain groups which are more

susceptible to developing psychological disorders than others.

Among those groups, college students are said to possess one of the highest indexes of

mental health problems, suggesting that college students are a vulnerable population for mental

health disorders. According to the National Alliance for Mental Health (2018), half of mental

health conditions begin by age 14, while 75% of mental health conditions develop by age 24;

which is the average age of the college student. Moreover, Kumaraswamy (2013) conducted

surveys on college students and found that at any given time 10-20% of students suffer from

psychological problems (p. 137). Therefore, mental health issues are a common health concerned

among university students. However, certain mental illnesses are more characteristic of the

college demographic.

Of all the mental health disorders, anxiety and depression are the most prevalent in

college campuses. According to the WHO (2018) anxiety and depression are psychological

disorders that are increasingly affecting college students. Auerbach (2018) found that anxiety

issues were the most common class of disorders across all groups of college students in the

study, with an average of 12% of the students interviewed, having it (p. 626). This international

study pinpointed that anxiety was the major cause of mental illness in the student population in

the college demographic. However, studies by Eisenberg (2007) have found that anxiety and

depression are correlated, and most times are presented together (p. 536), suggesting that when

working with anxiety, most of the time, they are also screening for depression. Thus, depression,

like anxiety, is a mental health disorder that many students are dealing with daily. According to

Kadison (2004) more than 50% of college students, from a national survey, reported feeling so

depressed that it was difficult for them to function during the past academic year (p. 508).
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Therefore, both anxiety and depression are frequent mental health illnesses found in college

students.

The onsets of mental health disorders are common among young adults, but the factors

that may contribute to the development of those disorders is most times underestimated or

overlooked. Anxiety and depression are common among college students because of the hectic

lifestyle in which colleges work and may even be more prevalent in minorities and other

vulnerable populations. Kadison (2004) believes that anxiety and depression are exacerbated in

college students by different stressors, like irregular sleep patterns, flux in personal relationships

and academic pressures (p. 511). Other experts, like Bramesfeld (2006) suggest that those mental

health conditions are really developed during the adolescent years and go untreated, worsening

with the entering of a stressful environment (p. 124). Other factors that may promote anxiety and

depression, according to Wei (2005), are the feelings of isolation and loneliness onset by the

detachment of students from their families and normal life styles (p. 607) Moreover, studies by

Cokley (2013) have shown that sex, ethnicity and social class may contribute to the development

of these disorders increasing the likelihood of minorities to experience these illnesses (p. 85)

Therefore, anxiety and depression among college students may be onset by different factors, but

are prevalent in this population because of the changes experience when entering the university

environment; becoming exacerbated by the hectic college life-style.

The untreated mental health epidemic in college institutions is affecting the well-being of

the students. According to Garlow (2008) the adverse outcomes for students suffering anxiety

and depression include poor academic achievement, increased rates of substance use, co-morbid

psychiatric conditions, and suicide (p. 484). Likewise, Hunt (2010) found that most student with

diagnosed mental disorders were not seeking treatment because of lack of programs; enhancing
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mental health issues in college campuses (p. 5). Consequently, he believes that most universities

are not helping students with their mental health conditions which causes the university to have a

higher number of drop-outs in its student population (p. 7). Therefore, this epidemic is affecting

the academic achievement of hundreds of students and promotes unhealthy habits that lead

students into precarious situations. One such situation was the story of Graham Burton, a second

year Hamilton College students that took his own life on December 14, 2016 in his dormitory.

His parents were unaware of the problems facing their child, including class absence, class

failures, psychological problems and struggles which he did shared with classmates and college

officials. The parents found notes and read emails that highlighted their sons’ mental state and

the problems he was facing. He describes having difficulty sleeping, and not being able to cope

with the challenges of everyday life. He was depressed and anxious causing him to end his own

life. His parents try to hold the college accountable and tried to show the public that institutions

must take measurements to ensure the safety and well-being of the student population who is

under their care. Sadly, this has not been an isolated incident and many institutions around the

world have had their shared of horror stories and experiences with psychologically damaged

students. Although the mental health crisis is affecting college student directly, the universities

are feeling the pressure of the onset disease in its own metrics, because of stories like this one.

Universities and colleges should start to become aware of the problems facing the student

population about mental health disorders by starting to actively help students with these issues.

According to Kitzrow (2003) the growing number of students with psychological problem has

made universities consider an active approached to mitigate the number of student suicide, drop-

outs and panic attacks due to mental health disorders (p. 169). The role of universities and

colleges should be active in the battle against mental health illnesses. Colleges should become
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engaged and promote mental health awareness. In Figure 2, counselors, nationwide, tabulated the

increase of anxiety and depression among the college students that seek their services. This

image also highlights the importance of counseling centers and their role in college campuses.

However, even if the universities begin to create programs to help the mental health crisis,

efforts must be put into encouraging students to seek help.

Mental health stigmas should be eradicated in order to improve student well-being, as

well as, establish open communication for students to seek help. Despite the prevalence of

depression in this population, college students struggling with depression are frequently

undiagnosed because according to Eisenberg (2007) and Zivin (2009) many students do not

perceive a need for help and do not seek clinical services (p. 597 and p. 182). Consequently,

Corrigan (2016) has found that when students speak-out about their mental issues and share their

stories with the rest of the alumni it is more likely for student battling with mental illnesses to

seek help (p. 228).

The University of Texas at El Paso has become aware of the problem and has started to

developed programs, becoming actively involved in student affairs regarding student’s well-

being and mental hygiene. The Prospector, the UTEP’s newspaper, in March 2016 did a report

on mental health awareness on campus were students talked about their struggles and the

university efforts in this matter. The article by Delgadillo promoted the available services on

campus and showed the prevalence of mental health disorders among their college students.

UTEP, like other minority-based institutions, faces a greater challenge, because of the previous

statements about the increase of mental health disorders among minorities and vulnerable

populations. That is why, the university has started to cater to its students and implemented

proactive approaches, so students can seek help on campus, free of charge and at convenient
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times. Most universities should use UTEP as an example and modify their efforts according to

the student population, as well as, the problems facing their students.

The intent of this report is to shed light on the silent epidemic that is affecting college

students worldwide in hopes that institutions, parents and even college students become aware of

the rising problems and the ways, together, we may be able to mitigate the effects of such

horrible diseases.

Conclusion

Anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health conditions; onset by the college life-

style and other factors which can be prevented or treated with the development of programs and

other pro-active approaches.

The worldwide mental health crisis has affected adolescents and young adults but remains

ever more prevalent in higher level education institutions, creating an epidemic. Among those

mental health issues, anxiety and depression are the most prevalent among college students

internationally; and are the leading cause of an increase in suicide and drop-out rates in

universities. Higher level educational institutions that have become more proactive have seen a

reduction on the rate of drop-outs and suicides.

Worldwide efforts have been done to help college students facing anxiety and depression,

but many are oblivious of the thread. Institutions are encouraged to bring awareness and become

pro-active in the fight against mental illnesses. The mental health epidemic is not a global

phenomenon that must be taken lightly, the consequences, if not taken seriously, are devastating

and more efforts should be put into insuring the well-being of college students worldwide.
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References

Bramesfeld A, Platt L, Schwartz FW(2006 )Possibilities for intervention in adolescents' and

young adults' depression from a public health perspective.Health Policy; 79(2-3):121-31.

Cokley, K., McClain, S., Enciso, A., & Martinez, M. (2013). An examination of the impact of

minority status stress and impostor feelings on the mental health of diverse ethnic

minority college students. Journal of multicultural counseling and development, 41(2),

82-95.

Corrigan, P. W., Kosyluk, K. A., Markowitz F., Brown R. L., Conlon B., Rees J., Rosenberg J.,

Ellefson S., & Al-Khouja M. (2016) Mental illness stigma and disclosure in college

students, Journal of Mental Health, 25:3, 224-230, DOI:

10.3109/09638237.2015.1101056

Delgadillo, R. (2016, March 29). Students shine light on mental health. Retrieved from

https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2016/03/29/students-shine-light-on-mental-health/

Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S. E., Golberstein, E., & Hefner, J. L. (2007). Prevalence and Correlates

of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality Among University Students. American Journal of

Orthopsychiatry, 77(4), 534-542. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.77.4.534

Garlow, S. J., Rosenberg, J., Moore, J. D., Haas, A. P., Koestner, B., Hendin, H., et al. (2008).

Depression, Desperation, and Suicidal Ideation in College Students: Results from The

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention College Screening Project at Emory

University. Depression and Anxiety, 25(6), 482-488. doi:10.1002/da.20321

Hunt, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2010). Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among

college students. Journal of adolescent health, 46(1), 3-10.

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Kadison, R., & DiGeronimo, T. F. (2004). College of the Overwhelmed: the Campus Mental

Health Crisis and What to do About it. San Francisco, CA, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved

from RIS Format UTF-8 p. 506-517

Kitzrow, M. A. (2003). The mental health needs of today's college students: Challenges and

recommendations. NASPA journal, 41(1), 167-181.

Kumaraswamy, N. (2013). Academic Stress, Anxiety and Depression Among College Students-a

Brief Review. International Review of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(1), 135-143.

National Alliance for Mental Health. (2018) https://www.nami.org

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018) https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

10.3109/09638237.2015.1101056

Wei, M., Russell, D. W., & Zakalik, R. A. (2005). Adult attachment, social self-efficacy, self-

disclosure, loneliness, and subsequent depression for freshman college students: A

longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(4), 602-614.

World Health Organization (2002). Prevention and Promotion in Mental Health. Mental health:

evidence and research. Geneva, Department of Mental Health and Substance

Dependence.

Zivin K, Eisenberg D, Gollust SE, Golberstein E (2009) Persistence of mental health problems

and needs in a college student population. J Affect Disord; 117(3):180-5.

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Figures

Figure 1. Share of Population with Mental Health and Substance Disorders (2016) The

illustration shows a map of the world colored according to the prevalence, in percentage, of

mental health and substance abuse disorders. The more intense the color the more prevalent the

disorders were in that area of the world. Most of the world has some percentage of substance

abuse or mental health disorder according to the image.

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Figure 2. Most Frequent Presenting Concerns in Counseling Centers (2016) The

graph shows the results of an annual national survey conducted by the Association for University

and College Counseling Centers Directors (AUCCCD) that highlights the amount of cases of

anxiety, depression and relationship problems throughout a decade of surveys. It can be seen an

increase in anxiety and depression cases in recent years. Most student are seeking help and

counseling for anxiety and depression related disorders.